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Do you know anything about it? Heard any rumbling about who might be running? So far, at TAP, the speculation has been Lynn Marinelli, Rath’s son & brand-new EC Legislator Ed III, and Dan Ward. Illuzzi says Dr. Barry and Susan Grelick are also interested.

17 Responses to “Mary Lou Rath Retiring?”

Lynn Marinelli, Dan Ward and Susan Grelick can’t win. There has been a Dem seriously looking at run, who doesn’t carry the baggage the others do. As someone noted on TAP, they have already met with most of the people you meet with before you run.

Dan Ward might have a chance. At least he will have the Party behind him. Grelick, maybe but she has lost at least one big race. Marinelli is too polarizing. She is not speaking to the party chairman and she has totally destroyed the harmony on the legislature by ruling by force instead of consensus. Maybe a fresh face, free from pollution, will have a chance.

How would the election of Lynn Marinelli, Dan Ward, or Susan Grelick be a net positive? Sure, it gets one seat closer to a Democratic majority in the State Senate, but promoting these people is not progress. A fresh face with a progressive agenda could and should be pushed forward as a potential replacement for Rath. Is there one out there? Ahem, Mr. Bedenko?

The Democrat in November will be none of those people. As Liddel Hart said above, an extraordinary, well-qualified individual is already making the rounds and this individual would beat any other person listed by Illuzzi in a Primary.

I agree with Mr. Thompson on the likeliest Republican challengers. Don’t forget that this district has three other Republican Assemblymen representing parts of it, and in the Senate they’d finally have some power; they could be players.

The Democrat in November will be none of those people. As Liddel Hart said above, an extraordinary, well-qualified individual is already making the rounds and this individual would beat any other person listed by Illuzzi in a Primary.

I for one am giddy with excitement at the idea of Stephen doing the BIG reveal of his double secret candidate! Oh what wonders this candidate will bring!

You want change? How about eliminating Joe Bruno’s power over the state, and therefore weakening Sheldon Silver’s power? Is that Change enough for you? The State Senate Republicans are so bought and paid for that CSEA and NYSUT are endorsing the Republican in the special election next month upstate. This IS Change, any Democrat would be change.

2 seats to Change the Senate, 2 seats to Change to Majority Leader Smith, 2 seats to a Changed State Government where WNY has a leadership voice – instead of Sen. Rath as our county’s only Committee Chair (Recreation and Sports), we’d have Sen. Stachowski as chair of an actual important Committee – Finance.

Yes, you read that right, a Western New York Senator would be the chair of the State Senate’s Finance Committee.

What is change then Chris? Is change just not being elected? Frankly your list shows how little you really know about politics. If you were talking about real change, someone who would say what they think, not go along to get along, and always do what they thought was right, it would mostly likely be the person on your list who has been in office the longest. However, because of that Dan Ward can’t win.

You guys are party loyalists through and through. Changing from one party to another in the state senate will do little to change the underlying reasons for the decline of upstate; a hostile business climate, predatory tax policies and over-regulation. The pople up for this election on the Democratic side are tried and true pro-labor automatons. Color me nonplussed at the possibility of one of them getting promoted.

What is change? New ideas, not recycled flim flam about it mattering one fucking iota who is in charge of what house in Albany. You are replacing tired old majority leadership with tired old minority leadership. Not really a revolution.

We need fresh blood in politics, not the same 15 politically connected people mentioned for every job and political opening, it’s tedious. The machine is broken in 100’s of locations, it’s a systemic problem. Replacing a few gears does not repair it.

Change is indeed in the air. Out my way, credible contenders are already lining up to run against Republican state senators Robach and Alesi. I’m looking forward to someone announcing against Senator Dale “Poster Boy for Term Limits” Volker, who in the past year slurred a fine Monroe County resident as a “bohunk” – amongst other political sins small and large nicely cataloged by Buffalo Pundit. Volker has been in elected office for decades, and no doubt has a nice pension nest egg awaiting him – perhaps it’s time we let him enjoy it.

But you don’t live here, so why should someone who doesn’t get a vote in the election for my state senator, and who knows very little about the candidates who might run other than that he doesn’t like them because they hold elective office, be telling me, who knows the candidates well, how I should be voting? How about I worry about the people I get to vote for, and you worry about the people you get to vote for, okay?

If the decisions that your state senator made affected only you, I’d agree. Which is why I don’t stick my nose into Clarence or Amherst town politics. However, someone in Albany affects everyone statewide.

I’m not sure you are aware of this, but you get to vote on your own state senator to send to Albany. So how about you keep your concern to who you want to vote on your behalf, and I’ll worry about the people who vote on my behalf.